Airplane radiator



July 28, 1925. 1,547,383

C. H. GRANT AIR-PLANE RADIATOR Filed Nov. 4, 1921 Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES HAMPSON GRANT, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

AIRPLANE RADIATOR.

Application filed November 4, 1921. Serial No. 512,821.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HAMPSON GRANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAirplane Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an airplane with a radiator that is so constructed, and placed within the wing structure of the plane, that the heat contained in the water carried to it from the engine, will be most effectively dispelled by. the passing air. My improved radiator, being of streamline construction, .not only cools this water by presenting a large'surface to the air, but when mounted beneath the wing, does not detract from the lifting force or increase the resistance of the latter.

My invent-ion contemplates an airplane radiator having a base plate conforming with the under or upper surface of the wing, and fromwhich there project downwardly or upwardly, longitudinally with the body of the' plane, a plurality of hollow or solid fins that are effectively cooled by the air passing between them, to cool the water that circulates through the water jacket of the engine.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out in the following specification, and particularly. set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of my radiator attached to a wing of an airplane. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the radiator structure, partly broken away to show the diffuser plate. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing how the radiator base plate conforms to the under surface of the wing of the airplane. And Figure 4 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 4-4. of Figure 2, showing one of the hollow fins and the water outlet pipe that communicates with it.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference characters denote corresponding parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of one form of embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a wing of an airplane, in which there is mounted, in front of the main spar 2, a streamlined water tank 3. Communicating with the top portion of the latter is a short filler tube 4 that receives a cap 5. (See Figures 1 and 2.)

Forming the bottom of the water tank 3 is a base plate 6 that projects rearwardly against the under surface of the wing 1, as shown in Figure 3. This base plate 6 preferably comprises a sheet of metal that conforms with the under surface of the wing, and to which there are attached a plurality of vertical, longitudinal fins 7. The base plate 6, as well as the fins 7, maybe hollow or solid. I

In the drawings I have shown a solid base plate 6 to which hollow fins 7 are secured. They are preferably parallel, and may be located as near or-as far apart as desirable. At their forward ends they fit into cross slots 8 in the bottom 6 of the water tank 3, to receive therefrom the water to be cooled. The hot water from the engine (not shown) is carried to the tank 3 by a tube 9 that is connected to the filler tube 4. This water descends through the tank 3 into the hollow fins 7 through which it passes to an outlet tube 10 by which it is conducted in its cooled state to the engine (not shown). If the base plate 6 were hollow, and the fins 7 solid, this hot water would pass through it to the outlet tube 10.

The area of the fins 7 being disposed lengthwise of the wind, enables them to present a large surface to the air that passes between them when the airplane is in motion. The air as it rushes pastthe fins, extracts heat from the water which passes through them.

Secured within the water tank 3 is an angle plate 11. This plate is perforated, and is disposed above the cross slots '8 to distribute the hot water equally to the fins 7 that project into those slots. (See Figures 1 and 2.)

The airplane radiator which I have illustrated and described is simple, attractive and efficient. It offers little or no resistance to the movement of the plane, and when installed in the upper or lower wing, it radiates the heat from the-cooling liquid'for the engine.

I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications maybe made therein within the scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a device of the type described, the

combination with an airplane Wing, of a radiator tank secured to said wing, a bottom plate for said tank projecting rearwardly there-from along the surface of said wing, and a plurality of radiating fins secured to said bottom plate lengthwise of the line of flight.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination with an airplane wing, of a radiator tank secured in the front portion of said wing, a bottom plate for said tank projecting rearwardly therefrom along the surface of said wing, and a plurality of hollow radiating fins communicating at their front ends with said tank and projecting rearwardly in a streamlike manner along the bottom surface of said plate.

3. Ina device of the type described, the combination with an airplane wing, of a streamline radiator tank secured in the front portion of said wing, a bottom plate for said tank projecting rearwardly therefrom along the under surface of said wing, and having a series of cross slots below said tank, and a plurality of hollow radiating fins fitted attheir front ends into said slots and projecting rearwardly in a streamlike manner along the bottom surface of said plate.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination with an airplane wing, of a radiator tank secured to said wing, a plurality of hollow radiating fins communicating with, and projecting rearwardly from, said tank, and a perforated an le plate mounted in said tank above the receiving ends of said hollow fins.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28 day of July, 1921.

Witness HOWARD S. SMITH. 

